Rainbow Cookie Cake

Ingredients

Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake

• 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (276 grams)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6 grams)
• 1/2 tsp salt (3 grams)
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (150 grams) – 1 and 1/3 sticks
• 1 tsp. almond extract (4 grams)
• 4 eggs (224 grams)
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature (245 grams)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (14 grams)
• green, yellow, and pink gel food coloring

Almond Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226 grams)
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (454 grams) – or a 1 lb bag
• 1/4 tsp salt (2 grams)
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream (or whipping cream) (15 grams)
• 1 tsp almond extract (4 grams)

Milk Chocolate Ganache

• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips (340 grams)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (113 grams)

Additional Decorations and Fillings

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• Italian rainbow cookies (I got mine from whole foods)
• Frosting comb

Instructions

Almond Cake Layers:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 6 inch pans with parchment rounds, and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.
3. Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
4. Mix in the eggs, two at a time.
5. Add the milk, and mix on a low speed until just incorporated.
6. Add in almond extract and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. 
7. Divide the batter evenly between three bowls. Add one color gel food coloring into each bowl, to make yellow, pink, and green batter. Mix until the batter is evenly colored.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
9. Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the pans to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
10. Place cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes, to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
11. Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers.

Almond Buttercream Frosting:

1. While the cake layers bake and cool, make the almond buttercream frosting.
2. Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
3. Once fully mixed, add in the almond extract and salt, and beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. 
4. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
5. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Milk Chocolate Ganache

1. Place chocolate into a medium sized bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream in a pot at a medium high heat, until it just begins to bubble.
3. Pour over the chocolate, and allow the mixture to sit for 2 minutes.
4. Slowly stir with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth.
5. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated, place plastic wrap over the top of the ganache, and set aside. Allow the ganache to cool for 4-6 hours, or overnight at room temperature.

To Assemble The Cake:

1. Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board. Use the
2. Add an even layer of almond buttercream between each cake layer, and spread 1/4 cup raspberry jam on top of the buttercream.
3. Cover the cake in a thin coat of frosting. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
4. Cover the chilled cake with the ganache, and smooth using a frosting comb to create a texture.
5. Decorate the base of the cake with Italian rainbow cookies.

Notes

Once the layers have fully cooled, I sometimes like to trim the caramelized bits from the sides of the layers using a serrated knife.